Light, Death, Darkness and Love
by Howlingwolf666
Summary: It's the era of the Greek Gods & Goddesses. Harry, his sister, and friends are their wards. What happens when Hades' wards start noticing them? Not to mention Hades and Persephone
1. Chapter 1

**Telepathy**

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 1

Persephone sighed for what must have been the millionth time. She got bored so easily here, on her mother's island. If it weren't for her friends, she would never have any excitement. Amber was the oldest of her friends but she was Persephone's fourth best friend. She was the ward of Hephaestus, God of the Forge and Fire, and workman to the Immortals. She was a very beautiful and rather tall woman, but because she worked with Hephaestus, and helped Aphrodite occasionally, she scolded anyone who said she was as beautiful as Aphrodite. Her hair was a chestnut brown that went below her shoulders but not too far, and she kept it up when she helped Hephaestus. Her eyes could be a warm chocolate brown but, when angered, they became like her name, amber in color and glowed with a certain fire. After her first year, Hephaestus made her a special amulet that allowed her to call on the powers of fire no matter where she was.

Talon was the second oldest, cousin of the family, and her fifth best friend. He was the ward of the God Aeolus, the King of the winds. He was a very handsome man, but he could be very cold as well. He had hair as black as ash that he kept rather short and he was clean shaven. What startled most was the fact that he had violet eyes. Some thought that he was rather short for a god, but anyone who said that, usually got into trouble with Aeolus. He was the son of the great warriors Sarabi and Maylakono, both who had given their lives to protect their home and only son from ruffians. After his first year with Aeolus, he was given a medallion, one that allowed him to call on Boreas, the North wind, Zephyr, the West wind, Notus, the South wind, and/or Eurus, the East wind.

Eragon was the third oldest and, coincidentally, her third best friend. He was the ward, surprisingly, of Athena or, as she was more commonly known, Pallas Athena, Goddess of education/science, war, and patron of the city Athens, and Gaia (if it's spelt the other way, I'm sorry, but I am more comfortable with this spelling), the Goddess of the Earth. He too was a very handsome, clean shaven man, as the almost exact twin of Amber, only his sharp green eyes shown with wisdom and rarely with anger. He seemed to have his twin's height but, because he was often seen with Athena, nobody dared say anything, good or bad. Because Athena had taught him to read early on, Eragon was indeed a very intelligent man, but he was also very strong and had a very good knowledge of weapons. After his first year with Athena and Gaia, Athena had given him a book to write his thoughts in that never ran out of pages and Gaia had given him a special mound of clay; the same clay that Prometheus and Epimetheus used to create mankind and animal kind. She had told him that, whenever he needed something, no matter the size, all he had to do was model it, and it would come to life. After he was done, it would turn back into a lump of clay.

Tempest was the youngest in her family and her second best friend. She was the ward of none other than Zeus himself, the God of Thunder, the Sky, husband to mighty Hera, and the king of the Gods. She had pure white hair and deep blue eyes that could be as warm as a lake on a summer day, or as raging as the oceans during a storm. She was very attractive woman, like her sister, but, if anyone looked at her, they faced the duel fury of Hera and Aphrodite. For you see, Tempest had once asked her mighty guardian that she only marry should she ever find her true love. Now Aphrodite, being the Goddess of Love and Beauty, thought this to be a noble request, and Hera, for once, agreed with her. Naturally, Zeus had had no choice but agree. After one year with her guardian and his wife, Zeus had given her a locket that called on the powers of the storms wherever she was and Hera, fearing that someone might try and take the young beauty against her will, had put a protective spell on her that only her true love could take her and only with her permission.

Harry, his twin Aurora, and their adopted sister, Rogue were the last ones of their family and all shared the spot for her ultimate best friend. Aurora was the ward of Apollo, the God of the Sun, Music, Prophecy, and Healing, Morpheus, the God of Dreams, Hypnos, God of Sleep, and Eros, God of Love and son of Aphrodite. Her brother and step sister were what most called the black sheep for they were the ward of six Gods, and not all of them what most called 'good'. They were the wards of, shockingly, Artemis, the Goddess of wild things and the Hunter in chief, which led to his nickname, Hunter and Shakarri, which means one who is a great hunter, Ares, the God of War, Hecate, the Goddess of the Crossways, the Dark side of the moon, and, of course, Magic, Eris, the Goddess of Discord, Nemesis, the Goddess of Revenge, and Thanatos, the God of Death and was also believed to be the ward of Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and Ate, the Goddess of Mischief, but no one ever confirmed, nor denied, it. No one dared to cross this trio, but, in truth, they all could be very kind and gentle. Some had even called them sweet.

Harry and Aurora were alike in almost every detail; they both were reasonably tall, and had hair as black as night. But here was probably the only difference, beside their gender of course, that could tell the twins apart. For you see, while Harry's hair had a blue sheen, Aurora's had a green sheen to it. But their eyes were exactly the same, and they also happened to be mismatched, but they were not a full solid color on either side. One was a strange blue; like someone had combined sapphire, azure, cobalt and electric blue. And the other one was a strange green; it looked like someone had combined emerald, sea green, Kelly green and India green. Rogue was quite the beauty as well; she too had the strange eyes, which allowed everyone to believe that they were family, but her hair was very different. She has reddish-brown hair with a pair of white streaks. She also has very pale skin for; she had the ability to absorb people by touching them. When she was young, she had no way of controlling it and no one could touch her without being absorbed. Only Harry, who, because of a spell going wrong, had been given a lizards extra thick hide, and Hecate, who could cast a spell that would allow her to touch Rogue, could touch her so she grew extra close to Harry and saw Hecate as a mother.

Aurora, after being with her guardians, had been given a lyre, Apollo's signature instrument, a talisman that gave her, and others, good dreams, a special potion that allowed those who were troubled sleep, and Eros, with the help of Apollo, had given her a flower that secreted a juice that healed a person even if they were a moment from death. Harry and Rogue, after their year with their powerful guardians, had been given a bow that never missed, a sword that would cut through anything, a ring that helped their magic flow and allowed them to cast spells, Eris had given them her ability to create her apples of discord, Nemesis gave a mirror that showed traitors to their eyes, especially when they betrayed them, and Thanatos gave the ability that allowed them to grant death, whether it be quick death, or slow death. Poseidon had also given a small jug of water that never emptied and Ate gave them the gift of invisibility. Some had thought that this was a sure sign that they also were Harry and Rogue's guardians but, they simply said that they were "giving a gift to a pair of good friends." And that could have been the truth as well.

Persephone sighed again as she waited for her friends to arrive on Edna while she looked at herself. Her friends always said that she was beautiful, but she felt like she was nothing compared to them. She had fiery red hair, and eyes as green as a forest with a bit of peacock blue. She had milky white skin like Rogue, and was tall, but not too tall. She supposed that she was pretty, but certainly not beautiful; not like Amber or Aphrodite. She also couldn't help but wish that she could wear something besides white and baby blue; even her friends said that it did nothing for her. Tempest said that she would ask Zeus if he could maybe order Demeter to stop dressing Persephone like a little girl, but she wasn't going to get her hopes up.

In the beginning, Demeter had not wanted 'her precious little baby' to be with the other seven but Zeus, who had wanted all the Gods and Goddesses to meet the new wards, had insisted that she bring Persephone with her when she came. The eight of them had become fast friends and soon, unless Demeter wanted to face the wrath of not one, not two, but nineteen Gods and Goddesses, especially when one was her grandmother, and two were her king and queen, they spent almost all of their free time together. She had become a little easier over the years, with Eragon, Talon, and Harry all being gay and, therefore, not going to be asking for Persephone's hand anytime soon, but she didn't like the fact that the four girls were all so wild and the males weren't exactly the most conservative of people.

Persephone perked up at the sound of Amber's chariot arriving. Hephaestus had offered to make her a chariot truly worthy of her, but she had declined. Still, he had set rubies in it so, while it was not the most glamorous chariot, it was not the most simple, like Hestia's, either. It was also a little intimidating being pulled by winged panthers.

"Amber!" Persephone said as she hugged her friend. Persephone knew that she was the only one to get away with the hugging, seeing as how Amber didn't like to be touched. She didn't know why but, Persephone hugging her just felt, nice. They then looked up when they felt the winds start to move and Talon arrived in his chariot. His had amethyst instead of rubies but he liked it. His was also pulled by a pair of Griffons.

"Hello Talon!" Persephone said as she hugged her other friend, also the only one who could do that. Their meeting was cut short however, as Eragon arrived in his simple chariot, pulled by lions. It was a way of saying he was a simple man, but also a fierce one.

"Eragon!" As Persephone hugged him, he swung her around and laughed. He didn't mind to be touched, but he especially liked it when Persephone hugged him. When a clash of thunder struck they looked up to see Tempest in her wolf drawn chariot arriving.

"Tempest!"

"Hey, Seph!" Tempest called out as she stepped down from her chariot and hugged her friend. When the waters split, they saw a rather beautiful chariot arrive. It had both emeralds and sapphires on it and was pulled by sharks. The trio also had one that was pulled by a Hippogriff, but they had been under water visiting Poseidon so, when in Rome, or in this case, Greece, do as the Grecians do.

"Harry! Aurora! Rogue!" She hugged the trio, making sure to squeeze Harry and Rogue extra hard. When they had first come here, being named the wards of wilderness, war, magic, discord, revenge, sea, mischief and death, and having 'toxic' skin, no one but their family had gone near them and they were too proud to ask for such a small thing as a hug. Then she had come along and, after their first hug, they had actually cried a little, because so few had ever hugged them, even when Rogue was covered from head to toe. She made sure to hug them as often as she could after that, no matter what and hugged Rogue as well, especially ever since she learned to control her skin.

"So, almost ready for the ball?" Talon asked as he looked his friend up and down in the gown she had on.

"According to my mother, I _am_ ready." Persephone said as she looked at her white dress that now had grass stains on it.

"I thought that she'd try something like that, so, I brought you one of mine!" Tempest said as she pulled out a beautiful blue dress that would bring out the blue in her eyes.

"Love you!" Persephone said as she took the dress. Then, with a small privacy spell, thanks to Rogue, she had it on. Aurora then put a little make up on to make her look a bit more beautiful and Amber gave her a fire lily to put in her hair, which Eragon had been able to make soft like satin.

"What would I do without you guys?" Persephone asked as she looked at herself in Harry's mirror (it served as a regular mirror as well).

"Who knows?" Talon remarked as he lined all the chariots up.

"Well, my lady, who shall you be riding with this evening?" Eragon said with an over dramatic bow. Persephone just laughed and said

"I think I'll ride with Amber." The 'great 8' as they called themselves, then took off, heading for Mount Olympus.


	2. Chapter 2

Telepathy

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 2

Persephone was quite happy when they all arrived at Mount Olympus, but was a little sad when Hermes came and said that Harry and Rogue had been called upon by Thanatos and Aurora had been called upon by Hypnos and Morpheus. Sometimes, there was too much work for only one god, so they called upon their wards for help. The trio said with heavy hearts that they would be back as soon as possible. Persephone soon entered and, as soon as her mother saw her, she almost shouted

"Persephone! What are you doing in that dress? I gave you a perfectly good one before I left!" Persephone groaned at this. Perfectly good... for a five year old! Thankfully, Zeus came to her rescue

"Come now Demeter, she looks quite enchanting in that color; see how it brings out her eyes! Ah, now I recognize it! That's one of Tempest's, isn't it?"

"Yes, my Lord Zeus, it is." Persephone said as she bowed a little. Hermes soon came over and asked her for a dance.

"Thanks Hermes; I hate it when she makes scenes like that!"

"Don't mention it babe; Athena threw up one of those privacy charms as soon as she saw you which, lucky for you, was five seconds ahead of your mother." Hermes replied as he continued to dance with her. He knew that her mother often tried to get the two of them together; she figured that if her daughter was going to get married, it might as well be to Hermes. But, Hermes loved her like a sister (although they were technically cousins) and he was never interested in that kind of relationship with her. When Hebe had told him what Demeter was trying to do, he had immediately gone to Zeus, begging him that he not make him marry Persephone. Zeus had agreed, saying that Demeter should just let her daughter marry whomever she wished.

_On the other side of the room, many of the darker deities were waiting for their late friends_

"It figures Thanatos would call on Harry and Rogue at the last moment, making them miss the ball!" Nemesis said as she drank from her goblet. She and Eris were talking about how unfair everyone was being to Harry and Rogue; most of the Gods and Goddesses avoided them because they were the wards of death and many other 'bad' things. That was when the head honcho spoke up.

"Eris? Nemesis? Just why is it that I have never actually met these wards of yours when four out of their technical six guardians are denizens of my kingdom? And half of his twin's guardians are as well?" Hades, king of the Underworld asked them. Eris and Nemesis stumbled over their words, trying to figure out how to put their thoughts into words, when Hecate said quite bluntly

"The way the two of you look alike freaks most out." Hades raised his eyebrows in surprise. But, if truth be told, Hecate spoke the truth. Hades had long blue black hair that reached a bit beyond his shoulders, he was clean shaven, and was very tall. His eyes, however, were deep cobalt blue, with a bit of hunter green in them. That was when he felt his eyes pulled towards his own wards. Of course, these wards were a bit older than the other wards, but only by about five or six years. His wards were a strange assortment of people, but he liked them. His wards went by the names Logan, with the nickname of Wolverine, Remy, with the nickname of Gambit, Rex, Julian, Erik, Henry, Edward, Armand, Lestat, Remus, Tom, Sirius, Fenrir, Severus, Lucius, Rudolphus, Rabastan, Angelus, Sodapop, Darryl, Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally, Steve, and, finally, Two-Bit. It had not been easy to keep track of them while they were growing up, but they had all been rather responsible and spent most of their time either in the library or training. Except, of course, for Sirius, Lestat, Edward, Remy, and Two-Bit; those five loved to create havoc, even now and, with Remy's thieving ability, it was rather easy for him.

None of these strong, strapping young men had ever met the wards either but, at the time they had never truly complained. But now, after hearing so much about the 'deadly 7' or 'lucky 7', as so many called them, they truly wanted to meet them and see if the rumours were true. That was when the doors opened, and in came Thanatos, Hypnos, Morpheus, and three incredibly beautiful children. Hecate had been right; the twins did look a bit like him. Except that the female had green black hair, their eyes, along with the one that could only be Rouge, were mismatched, and he had about maybe an inch or two on them. He turned when he heard gasps and looked bemusedly at ten of his wards. Remus, Sirius, Tom and Fenrir were looking at the male twin like he was Adonis. However, Severus, Lucius, Rabastan, and Rudolphus were looking at the female twin like she was Aphrodite and, judging by the way Logan and Remy were looking at Rogue, they thought the same about her. That was when Hera spoke

"Everyone! Now that the trio has arrived, they, along with Eragon, Amber, Tempest, Talon, and, of course, Persephone, may present their dance that they call 'The Dance of Life, Death, and Rebirth'!" Hera then had her nymphs move everything out of the way so the eight could start their dance. The muses soon started humming their song as the others came into view. Hades watched again, this time just amused, as Rex, Julian, Edward, Henry and Erik stared at the one known as Amber. Lestat looked at the male known as Eragon, Armand looked at the other male known as Talon, and Sodapop and Angelus looked at Tempest. He was about to say something to them, when he saw his own vision; Persephone.

As the Muses started to actually sing their song, they all started to sway. They looked like ripples in a pool the way they moved as one. Soon, they formed a circle, with Harry and Aurora in the middle. As the other five started moving in a circle, the twins started to act like they were in a battle. It was incredible to see, and all eyes were on them. These eight children obviously knew how to attract everyone's attention, for; soon, they started leaping, as if they were defying gravity. Hades saw Demeter scowling as Persephone jumped high and landed with her dress going up a little; giving many a few of her beautiful long legs. Soon, Persephone and Rogue joined Harry and Aurora in the circle. The four looked so comfortable together, like they truly belonged. But Hades couldn't understand who was Death, who was Life, and who was Rebirth. Most would assume that Harry was Death, Aurora was Life, and Persephone was Rebirth. But was that really it? And, where did Rogue fit in the mix? Soon, the eight twirled until they formed a straight line. They then raised their hands, and everyone watched as they glowed. Then, a raw burst of power erupted from them and it actually shook the place. Many applauded as the lights rained down on the eight like little stars.

"They're incredible." Remus says and Hades agrees as he watches Persephone. She is so incredibly beautiful, that she ranks right up there with Hera, Aphrodite, Athena and Amphitrite. Funny thing, Hera and Amphitrite were both queens. Hera was wife to Zeus, therefore queen of the Gods. And Amphitrite was wife of Poseidon, therefore queen of the oceans. Hades was the only one without a queen, mainly because he had never found a woman powerful enough to be his queen. Perhaps, his search was finally over.


	3. Chapter 3

Telepathy

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 3

Hades spent the rest of the ball looking at Persephone, until Hestia, his favourite sister, with Hera coming in at a close second, came over and asked

"Has someone actually caught the attention of my dark brother?" Hades turned to her and she was graced to see a smile.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me a few things about the maiden Persephone?" Hades asked her. Hestia looked contemplative, before she spoke

"She is the daughter of Demeter, unfortunately, and she helps certain things grow. Mainly flowers and trees, seeing as how Demeter thinks that she is 'too young for any real goddess work'." Hestia rolled her eyes at the last part. Hades was surprised at this; his sister hardly ever did something like that, especially to their own sister.

"Persephone is hardly ever let off the island of Edna. I think that, if it were not for Zeus ordering that all Gods and Goddesses attend his little get togethers, she'd never be let off the island. And these things are only once a year! I know that Persephone would be willing to anything to get away from her mother." Hades again looked at the beauty, who was currently talking to Dionysus.

"Excuse me a moment, Hestia, I need to talk to our little brother for a moment." Hades excused himself as he looked for his brother, who happened to be talking to their other brother, Poseidon.

"Zeus, do you have a moment?" Hades asked. His brothers looked at him for a moment, before nodding and Poseidon went and said that he would talk to Harry and Rogue.

"What is it Hades? You always, pardon my terminology but, skulk in a corner with the denizens of your kingdom. What brings you over here, to have a conversation?" Zeus asked his older brother. Zeus, despite what most believed, liked his brother Hades quite a bit. He understood why his brother was a little bitter, but he was also a very just God.

"I want your approval for something rather important." Hades said, as always, going straight to the point and not bothering for courtesies.

"What could be so important that you'd ask for my approval before you do it?" Zeus asked his older brother.

"I wish to take Persephone as my queen."

"Would it kill you to a little more discreet?" Zeus asked.

"Zeus? We're Gods, we don't die." Hades pointed out.

"Fair enough, but you do have balls to even suggest such a thing; you know that Demeter would never agree to such a thing." Zeus said.

"This is why I'm asking you. You are the king of the Gods; whatever you say will be done." Hades said, starting to get a little desperate.

"Hades, Demeter would just find a way around it; when she wants or doesn't want something to happen, she will make it turn out in her favour." Zeus argued, wishing that there was a way to help his brother.

"And, besides, she'd never do anything unless the wards were doing the same thing as well. They've been friends ever since the wards came to Mount Olympus."

"I don't think that that will be an actual problem; my wards have fallen for the other wards."

"Even Rex and Logan? I thought that they weren't interested in females." Zeus asked his brother.

"Rex, along with Julian, Erik, Henry, and Edward, are rather taken with Amber, the ward of Hephaestus. Logan and Remy are both attracted to Rogue. Armand seems to be attracted to Talon, ward of Aeolus. Lestat seems to fancy Eragon, ward of Athena and or grandmother, Gaia. Severus, Lucius, Rudolphus, and Rabastan seemed taken with the ward of Apollo, Eros, Morpheus, and Hypnos, Aurora. Remus, Sirius, Tom and Fenrir all seemed to be taken with the god that nobody seems to want to be around; Harry." Hades explained

"What, nobody fancies my ward?" Zeus asked jokingly

"Actually, Sodapop and Angelus seem to fancy her."

"Well, that causes another problem, you see, in order to protect her, Hera put a spell on her so that no one could take her without her permission and unless they were her true love. That was the only thing that Hera and Aphrodite ever agreed on, even to this date."

"Well, if Tempest feels comfortable around them, and she has never really felt that way about any other male, then, won't that kind of dissolve the spell?" Hades asked his bother.

"Alright, if they could get Tempest to feel so comfortable around them that she'd be willing to take such a huge step, then yes, the spell would dissolve. But, tell me, oh Rich One, how are you planning on, not only getting Persephone, but also the seven other wards?" Zeus asked his big brother. At this, Hades looked at Persephone. She was currently dancing with Harry, while his twin talked to Poseidon and Ares talked with Rogue. His wards never really asked for anything while they were young, but he could tell that they wanted the wards. And he wanted Persephone; she was what his kingdom needed, she was light, where he was darkness. He knew what he needed to do.

"Well, with your permission, I was thinking of, perhaps, kidnapping her." Hades said the last part softly but Zeus still heard him and as shocked by what he heard.

"You want to what?!"

"Zeus, you know me; I'm not a man used to begging for something, but please, if not for me, at least for my wards; they never asked for anything." Zeus then looked at Hades wards; they looked like a bunch of love sick puppies. He had to admit that he had never seen them like this before, and they really had never asked for anything. When they had become the wards of Hades, most had stayed away from them, just like with Harry and Rogue. Now that he really thought about it, it could be beneficial for all those involved.

For Amber, she would actually get some friends that were on the same intellectual level and someone that was not afraid of her fire powers, and Rex, and the others, would get a female that was smart, independent, strong, and who didn't care about looks. Armand would get someone that wasn't all 'I'm a God so I'm naturally important', and Talon would get someone who had been in a similar boat quite a few years ago. Tempest would get kind, gentle males for friends and those two would get a female that loved to hear stories. Aurora would get friends that, though cold on the outside, were actually very affectionate; a bit like her and those four would get a female that could melt anyone's cold heart. Harry and Rouge, Harry and Rogue would get friends that actually understand them, and would show them the affection he always craved, and the other four, along with Logan and Remy, would get someone who was like them in at least one way. And Persephone. Persephone, Rogue and Harry were probably the ones who would get the most out of it. Persephone would get an intellectual friend that would treat her as an equal, plus much more, and Hades; Hades would no longer be lonely. True, he wasn't truly lonely, seeing as how he had who knows how many wards, but, there were still certain things that a man could only do with a female friend. Zeus sighed and said

"Very well, but how will you do it without any witnesses?"

"Artemis told me that she was planning on a solar eclipse in a few days; during the eclipse, Helios will be unable to see a thing; the perfect time to 'kidnap' them."

"Alright, but Hades, promise me that you won't hurt them?" Zeus asked his older brother.

"On my word as a God." With that, Hades signalled to the others that it was time to go. While looking at his brothers retreating figure, he couldn't help but think 'I pray that they all find what they're looking for'.


	4. Chapter 4

**Telepathy**

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 4

Despite what Zeus had said, Persephone was chewed out by her mother when they got home. And, even though she had explained that her other dress had grass stains on it and she didn't want to make her friends wait for her, not to mention not wanting her mother to look bad, her mother just degraded that as well.

"Persephone, how many times do I have to tell you? Virgin Goddesses wear white!"

"Mother, you know as well as I that Hestia, Athena, and Artemis are the virgin Goddesses and they wear all sorts of different colors!" Persephone argued.

"And they are not exactly the most innocent Goddesses!"

"Mother! Hestia is your own sister! How can you say such a thing about her?! Not to mention the little fact that Athena and Artemis are your niece's!"

"Artemis is a horrible woman that is so wild! Athena may be wise, but she should know better than to mess about with matters of war; that's a mans job. And, Hestia may be my sister, but to associate with that, that dark and horrible God!"

"Artemis is the Goddess of wilderness, so, yes; she is bound to be a wild person, but that does not make her a horrible woman! Athena meddles in war affairs because she wants to prove that woman can be as good as men! And, by dark and horrible, I'm guessing that you mean Hades? He is your brother! And, who are you to decide who your older sister talks to and who she doesn't!"

"Persephone, you don't know that man like I do; during the Titan war, he killed without batting an eye and, he became even darker when he was given the Underworld, even though that's where he belongs!" Demeter argued.

"Just because he doesn't attend meetings regularly, and he acts like the wise and powerful God he has to be, considering he gets rogues and many other kinds of people, does not mean that he is horrible. And, if the scrolls are anything to go by, if Hades hadn't been so ruthless, then the Titans would have killed him!"

"Persephone, I'm not going to hear another word about you defending that monster! Now go up to your room." Persephone wanted to continue arguing, but Harry had once told her that 'he who runs today, lives to fight another day' so she just went upstairs. When she got up there, she smiled as she saw Hedwig, Aurora's owl waiting for her. She took the letter that was tied to her leg and read

'_Great news Persephone!_

_Tempest says that Zeus agreed to let you come to Mount Olympus for a few days! Don't worry about a thing; Zeus is going to tell Demeter that Aphrodite and Hera need your assistance for a few things that will last a couple of days._

_One of your best friends who feels sorry that you have Demeter for a mother,_

_Aurora_'

Persephone was practically jumping for joy! The eight of them had been trying to figure out a way to get her a bit of extra time off her mother's island, and it seemed like they had finally found a way in which they could do it. She couldn't wait! That was when Hawk, Talon's pet and deliverer, brought in another message. She took the letter and read it.

'_Hey Persephone,_

_I thought that you should know that Aeolus isn't too happy with one of your mother's islands. He says that they are not paying proper tribute to him, so, he is going to cause aBIG tornado to hit them. I think he said that it was going to be something along the lines of an F-3 or even an F-4! Now, you know that I don't give a damn what your mother says about me and the same goes for Aeolus, but I know that you'll feel horrible about the whole affair if you don't do something to help them, so I'm giving you this days' notice; go into a village on Sicily, remember that one we vacationed at last year?, and warn the people. It's too late to appease Aeolus, so tell them to find caves and go into them. Tell them not to worry about their livestock; Aeolus only wants them to be frightened so they won't forget to pay tribute ever again._

_See you tomorrow, around the time when Helios is getting ready to sleep,_

_Talon_'

Persephone was rather sad to hear about what was going to happen to the mortals. She knew what she would do though; she would dress as an old hag tomorrow and tell the high priest about the tornado. She went to sleep knowing that, soon, she would be away from her mother, with a clear conscience.

_During the time Persephone had been chewed out, Hades was having a few of his own problems in his own kingdom  
_  
"Hades, have you and your wards thought this through thoroughly?!" Hecate asked her king after he told them what he and the others planned to do.

"Hecate, we have all thought it through, and we think-"

"She is a Goddess of life! And the others! How do you think Athena, Aeolus, Hephaestus and the others will feel about this?"

"Hecate, we have Zeus' permission to do what we will; his word overrides all others." Remus said, while trying to keep Fenrir in line.

"And does his word override Demeter's as well? How do you know that the girl is ready for marriage? She has never even met you! She has only ever heard rumours, and we can all tell that they aren't exactly singing your praises!"

"Hecate, it has all been decided, they will come here the day after tomorrow, starting with Persephone. We will not make them marry us as soon as they come here. We will give them plenty of time to get to know us, then ask them. If they say no, then we continue to treat them like royalty until they do. It's as simple as that." Tom said.

"Are you so sure of not only yourselves, but their shallowness? All Harry and Rogue have ever wanted is to be loved, not to be a king or queen or a duke or duchess or anything like that. They never even wanted to be a pair of wards! All they wanted were to be plain mortals! But, if they had done that, they would have condemned their sister to death! She had pneumonia when their parents died, and the only way that she could live was by accepting the deal of immortality!" Hecate pretty much shouted at her king.

"We will show them the love he and the others deserve! Persephone is treated as nothing more than a child on Edna! And, as you know, Harry and Rogue are treated as though they have the plague! No one treats them as the powerful ward/person that they are! With us, we will show them what it means to be loved! And, it won't be as if they'll be alone; they'll have each other and you and the others! Now, we will hear no more of this! They are coming here and that is that!" Fenrir shouted and the others knew that they had no chance of changing their minds; Fenrir was the most stubborn of them all. He was also the most vicious one and, along with Lestat and Logan, had the most violent temper. Any who crossed him, didn't live to tell the tale.

Hecate and the others bowed their leave and took off. Hades and the others all sighed as they left. They knew that they were doing something very dangerous, but they had no choice. Hades longed for someone; a friend, a comrade someone to talk to and someone to help him with his duties. He knew that his wards were his friends, but he knew that they wanted the same. Severus, Lucius, Rudolphus and Rabastan saw that in Aurora. Lestat saw that in Eragon while Armand saw it in Talon. Rex, Erik, Henry, Edward and Julian saw it in Amber. Sodapop and Angelus saw that Tempest had it. Logan, a man who didn't like to be close to anyone, and Remy, a complete womanizer, saw what they wanted in Rogue. And Remus, his most quite ward (besides Johnny), Sirius, one of his most deviant wards (along with Lestat and Two-Bit), Tom, a man who was seen as dark but was actually quite nice (a bit like Steve), and Fenrir, a man that could be vicious but when it came to those that he loved, he was actually very caring, saw what they wanted in Harry. They all said goodnight to each other as they went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be quite the day in the morning for Hades. Tomorrow morning, he would kidnap Persephone.


	5. Chapter 5

OTHER CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN UPDATED!! READ THEM FIRST!!

**Telepathy**

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 5

When Persephone had awoken the next morning, she had told Demeter of what was going to happening for the next few days. At first, Demeter had said that she would do and that Persephone was too young to do something like that. When that had failed, she had asked why Persephone simply couldn't go to Olympus, then come back home, then go back to Olympus the next day. That was when Hermes had once again come to her rescue.

"Lady Hera and Lady Aphrodite would both like to know what is keeping the Lady Persephone." At that, Demeter had no choice but to let Persephone go. Hermes allowed Persephone to stop off at the village that Talon had told her was going to be hit by a tornado to warn them first however. At first, they didn't believe her, but when Hermes was able to come up with some special effects, they quickly believed her. She was currently in the gardens of Mount Olympus, waiting for her friends to come back. Hephaestus had called on Amber, saying he had some equipment that he needed her help with. Aeolus said that he was going to need Talon for half an hour, an hour tops. Ares had wanted Harry and Rogue to be with him to cause a little mayhem. Apollo, the womanizer, had first try to hit on Aurora, until Eros came to her rescue, then Persephone, who had been saved when Eragon had said that Athena wanted to talk to the two of them.

"I wish they would hurry up and get back; it's boring without them here." Persephone sighed. She got up and started to walk to a grove she knew was there, when she noticed that the sun was being covered.

"Hmm, I forgot that Artemis and Apollo said that a solar eclipse would be happening today." Persephone said to herself, not looking where she was going and falling and scraping her leg. She didn't cry out, knowing that her friends wouldn't for such a little thing, but she did whimper a lot as she looked at it. It was a deep gash and bleeding badly and ran all along her calf, from her knee to her ankle. She tried to stand up, hoping to get to Apollo, Athena, or at least Aphrodite, but she fell back to the ground with a cry. She knew that she couldn't stand, and for a brief moment, she thought of just waiting for the others to come back, after all, a Goddess couldn't die from blood loss. 'No!' she thought to herself, 'My friends wouldn't give up just because they were hurt! And I can't either!' So, she started dragging herself along the ground, she knew that it was embarrassing, but Amber always said that you shouldn't not do something just because it's embarrassing. That was when she heard, in a voice she didn't recognize, say

"Lady Persephone? Are you alright?" She looked and saw a tall, dark handsome man looking at her in concern. There was only one God, although she had never met him face to face, that had ivory white skin like Rogue, even if it was for a different reason.

"Lord Hades I presume? Can you help me please? I have injured my leg and I can't stand up." That was when Hades ran over to her and gently turned her over so he could see the leg. He hissed through his teeth as he looked at the gash. He then took off his cloak and wrapped it tightly around her leg.

"Lady Persephone, my wards can help me heal you much better if you let me take you to the Underworld, is that alright?" Hades asked her, hoping that she'd say yes so he wouldn't have to 'kidnap' her. Persephone looked contemplative for a moment, thinking about how nice it'd be to really have a change of scenery, then she nodded. Hades gently picked her up and carried her over to where his chariot was and put her inside, moving as quickly as he dared, knowing that he only had another five minutes tops before the eclipse was over, when he heard her whimper in pain.

"Lady Persephone, with your permission, I would like to cast a small spell. All it will do is simply put you to sleep for two hours at the most. I suggest this because it's a little bumpy to the Underworld and I would hate to see you in more pain." Hades told her and she nodded, knowing that not wanting to experience the pain was a weakness, but she just didn't want to feel any more pain.

"It's not a weakness not to want to feel any more pain; all people have different levels of endurance and you've been very brave; you even tried to get help instead of waiting for someone to come help you. If it had been Ares, when he was a child, he would have been bawling his head off until Hera came and bandaged up his wound." Hades said as he silently cast the spell. Persephone fell asleep with a smile on her face. Although Hades was upset that she was hurt, he was happy that he would have this chance with her without kidnapping her.

It didn't take long for Hades to get off of Mount Olympus and back to the Underworld. Chiron did not say a word as his king came onto his boat with a strange, yet beautiful, woman. He simply rowed the two of them to the other side. When Hades got back to the palace, he asked if her room was ready. Molly and Kurt, a pair of loyal servants of his, said that they just needed another ten minutes to finish it up.

"So, why is your cloak wrapped around her leg?" Angelus asked Hades as he and the others came in. Hades looked up from Persephone with a sigh.

"When the eclipse occurred, she slipped and fell on a rock. That rock, in turn, has left a long, jagged cut on her calf. Knowing that she couldn't walk, she crawled, hoping to find assistance, and that was how I found her. Because of this, she has come willingly to the Underworld so that we may help her. Which reminds me, Severus? Can you, Remus and Tom please heal her leg?" Hades asked and said wards moved to take a look at her leg. They said that, thankfully, it wasn't broken, but some muscles were torn so it'd be best if she didn't walk around a lot and, when she came into another room, she sit down in a chair as soon as she was in the room. As this was being said, Persephone awoke a wee bit ahead of schedule.

"Where am I?"

"Lady Persephone? You are safe here, in the Underworld." Armand said to the young Goddess with a bow.

"You're Armand, aren't you? My mother talked to Hestia about you once. She made you out as a very cold and indifferent kind of boy, but I'm not getting that vibe from you." Persephone said with a flinch she tried to hide as Severus stitched up her leg.

"Thank you, Lady Persephone."

"You don't have to continue calling me 'Lady' Persephone; just Persephone would do just as well Armand. Now, can anybody tell me the reason Hades was up on Mount Olympus at the very moment that I was and just happened to be in the Olympian gardens at the same moment that I was so conveniently." Persephone asked with her eyebrows raised and a small smile on her face.

"I knew you were smarter than your mother thought. Very well, I'll tell you the whole story." Logan said as he looked at the maiden before he told her the reason Hades was where he was when he was (a/n: if anyone can make heads or tails of that, you're good).

"Well, at least it doesn't sound as if you were going to simply kidnap me, force me to marry you, then fuck me against my will, trying to bind me to you." Persephone said and the others were shocked at her terminology.

"You really aren't as innocent as your mother makes you out to be, are you?" Steve asked her and she just nodded.

"Being around my friends will do that to you. My mother didn't want me to be around them, but Athena and Hera made it sound as if they were better than the nymphs she tried to keep me with. Hera said that, if she didn't want me to be as sex crazed as they are, then she should just let me be friends with them. Now, I am assuming that you all fell for my friends, so may I ask who fell for who?" Persephone asked the wards.

"Well, Lestat fell for Eragon, Armand fell for Talon, Sodapop and Angelus fell for Tempest, Rex, Edward, Henry, Erik, and Julian have all fallen for Amber, Severus, Lucius, Rudolphus and Rabastan have fallen for Aurora, Logan and Remy fell for Rogue, and, Remus, Tom, Fenrir and Sirius have all fallen for Harry." Hades explained to her.

"So, seeing as how it was only you, Hades, I'm guessing that you were planning on taking us one at a time right?"

"How the hell can your mother think that you're an innocent idiot?" Sirius asked Persephone.

"Well, you are correct and we have been trying to figure out which one to go for next; any ideas?" Erik asked her. She looked contemplative before she moved into a sitting position.

"I would say either Amber or Tempest. Eragon isn't going to be some pushover, with one of his guardians being the stubborn Earth Goddess and the other the wise Goddess, Talon will be able to smell you a mile away with the ability to be able to read the winds, and do you honestly believe that you'll be able to get Harry, Rogue and/or Aurora on your first try? You are going to need a little help."

"Care to help?" Julian asked her.

"Promise they won't be hurt and that you're not going to force them to marry you until they return your feelings?" Persephone asked them. When they all nodded, she said

"First Tempest, then Amber."


	6. Chapter 6

{**Telepathy**}

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 6

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!! HOW COULD PERSEHPONE JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT?!" Aurora asked her siblings. Demeter and Hermes had told them that Persephone was missing and they were blaming themselves.

"At least one of us should have stayed with her! Did you see the long trail of blood that was along the meadows grounds?" Talon asked his friends while looking truly furious. He wasn't furious with the others though; he was furious with himself. He had finished his work early but had stopped for a chat with Hermes; he blamed himself for Persephone's disappearance. He swore by all the stars in heaven, if whoever took her harmed her or had been the reason for the trail of blood, he would kill them _very _slowly. Since he had been an only child, and he was older than Persephone (by a grand total of about five minutes), he had come to think of Persephone as a little sister and it was his job to look out for her.

"Yes, but I saw from where it started; it looks like she fell, scraped her leg on a rock and then crawled, looking for help." Eragon pointed out but he felt even worse than Talon did; he had been the last one with Persephone and had even pulled Apollo, a God that could have defended Persephone, away.

"Why didn't she call for help?" Tempest asked her siblings and friends.

"Would we?" Amber asked her sister and they all knew what she meant; Persephone often tried to be like them; cold, unfeeling, and extremely independent.

"I don't care what it takes; FIND PERSEPHONE AND BRING HER BACK!!" Harry finally spoke, trying to keep the tears back; he truly felt responsible; he had left her to cause mayhem with Ares, a truly irresponsible thing for any Alpha to do concerning his pack and the youngest member of it. Everyone knew that Harry very seldom shouted but when he did, it was a sure sign that someone was going to die. They all quickly left and joined the search with everyone else. The only one that remained in the clearing where they had all met was Tempest.

~_Down in the Underworld_~

"Can we go now?" Sodapop asked as he looked up from the crystal that showed them all that happened on the world above. They had watched the conversation and Persephone felt horrible for doing this to her friends.

"Almost, Severus is just about finished the concoction that will slow Tempest down enough that you can take her." Hades told his wards as he looked at Persephone's distraught face.

"Speak of the devil." Angelus said as Severus came in holding a vile.

"Did you use the scents I told you?" Persephone asked, knowing that just one wrong scent would make it hard for Tempest to go down, even if she was going up against two able bodied men.

"Vanilla, lavender and apple, all present and accounted for. Now, according to Persephone, all you two have to do is remove the cork and the scent will be released, thus calming her and stopping her from fighting back at full potential." Severus explained as he gave the vile to Angelus before he and Sodapop headed out.

"Alright, now, what scents should I use for Amber's concoction?" Severus asked Persephone and Lucius noted in slight amusement that Rex and the others all perked their heads up at the sound of the fiery female.

"She's got slightly odd tastes but we don't really mind; she likes myrrh, cinnamon, hazelnut and honeysuckle. Combine it all with the cinnamon and honeysuckle being the strongest and she'll be all but napping in the sun when she smells it." Persephone said to Severus before he left to go work on the second concoction.

~_Back on the surface_~

Tempest didn't know how long it was before the Earth shook and two very handsome men came out. One had brown hair like her brothers, but it was shorter, and was styled in a weird way. However, he did have beautiful brown eyes like Amber whenever she laughed (which was becoming rarer and rarer these days). He was a tall, strong man; one of those men that could charm any girl he wanted, which went well with his partner. The other man had silky looking black hair that Tempest couldn't help but want to run her fingers through. His eyes were a beautiful blue that looked to be a peacock or robin egg blue. His height and muscle structure appeared to of the same as the other man and he too looked like a man that could get any woman he wanted just by snapping his fingers.

"What do the two of you want?" Tempest asked while slowly moving her hand towards her dagger, after all, it's not every day that two good looking men just pop out of the ground like daisies for no reason.

"We wish for you to join us while we take you to Persephone in the Underworld." Sodapop said as Angelus took the stopper out and the breeze took the scent. Tempest's wolf nose immediately picked up on the scent and she started to feel her trepidation fade.

"What is Persephone doing in the Underworld?" She asked as her eyelids started to droop, but seeing the two start to move toward her made her do her best to go on the defensive.

"She is an honoured guest of our guardian Hades. He is also looking after her injured leg." Angelus said as he moved closer to her.

"Why should I believe that she is anything more than a prisoner that Hades has raped?" Tempest asked before Sodapop grabbed her from behind. She struggled but knew that it was in vain; the scent had all but put her to sleep and the one who held her was rather strong.

"Lord Hades, despite popular belief, is not a man that goes around raping people. But, if you still don't believe us, you can ask Persephone when you arrive in the Underworld." That was when Tempest's eyelids drooped and didn't reopen.

{**We have Tempest.**} Sodapop called telepathically to Hades.

{**Good; when you arrive back home, Rex, Julian and the others will go and get Amber; she is currently on the island of Lemnos so hurry back; we don't want her to move to another island before they can move.**}

{**We'll be there soon.**}


	7. Chapter 7

{**Telepathy**}

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 7

{**TEMPEST?! CAN YOU HEAR ME? ANSWER ME LITTLE SISTER!**} But Tempest did not answer her sister's cries, and Amber worried all the more for it, for Tempest had always answered her sister's calls before.

"First Persephone goes missing, and now Tempest will not answer me; in Zeus' name, what is happening and why us? Have we not suffered enough at the hands of our fellow Gods?" Amber asked herself as she prepared to contact her twin with the distressing news that their little sister, yet another member of the Great 8, had lost contact with them.

{**Brother?**}

{**Yes, sister?**} Amber heard her twin call back to her and she stiffened as she said

{**I have reason to believe that Tempest has been abducted.**} That was when she felt the Earth shake as she heard

{**WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABDUCTED?! HOW DO YOU KNOW?!**} Very seldom did her brother shout, especially at her, but when he did, he shouted so loud you could hear it from Uranus.

{**Because I have been trying to reach her for the last half hour and she does not answer me. What do you want to do?**} Amber could hear her brother thinking over the connection before he answered

{**We can't bother Alpha with this; not when he's already so worried about Persephone that he'd go ballistic if he found out that another one of us was missing. We'll have to play the whole thing by ear for now and wait and see what happens.**} Amber sighed in slight depression at this as she agreed to her brother's statement. Just as she closed the link, she saw five rather attractive men come into her sights. One looked a little old, but he was still rather handsome; he had greyish black hair, a small goatee and moustache, hazel blue eyes and reminded her a bit of her brother; rather scientific. Another male looked like his much younger brother with a mane of full black hair, he reminded her a bit of Harry; a bit of a rebel in his own way ( for a good picture of these two, go to .com/media/rm2814351616/tt0117002 and look at pictures 6 of 38 and 7 of 38). The third was a rather dangerous looking man; he had hard brown eyes but soft looking blonde hair and he seemed to have the build of a swimmer; if he were mortal, she'd say he was most likely an Athenian, as were the others. The fourth male had short brown hair and green eyes, but she could see nothing of the rest of his face for he wore a whole mask and he had black make-up around his eyes. The final man had to be the most handsome one of all. He had midnight hair, along with beautiful blue eyes, a strong body and a handsome face. But, he also wore a mask but this one covered only the right side of his face.

"You mind if I ask what the five of you want?" Amber asked them and the blonde came forward and said

"If you want, we can take you to your sister." With her focus temporally on the blonde, she didn't notice it when the younger looking man uncorked her concoction. Soon, the scents of honeysuckle and cinnamon, combined with hazelnut and myrrh, filled the air but Amber, who had a higher level of endurance than her little sister, did not give into the scents and asked

"Where is she?"

"She is perfectly safe, as is the lady Persephone, in the Underworld." The older version answered her.

"Do you mind if I ask just _why_ my baby sister and my best (non-related) friend are in the Underworld?" Amber asked as she entered a defensive state and position. The others then did the same as the green eyed one said

"Persephone has caught the affections of our lord Hades and your little sister has caught the affections of two of our dear friends; Sodapop and Angelus." When she launched an attack with her fire capabilities, they were only able to last a minute, for Erik (the Brunette with green eyes), was an earth controller and, therefore, not able to hold up to the fire. Julian (the blonde) was an ice controller, so the same applies. Edward (the younger one) and Henry (the older one) were doing alright but they knew that it wouldn't last. Rex (the one with the half mask), however, being a water controller, easily extinguished her flames, rushed forward and was able to restrain Amber.

"And you have caught ours, my lady." He hissed in her ear as she struggled against him. That was when he and Erik started to sing and Amber found herself calming in spite of herself, which allowed for the scents to take their toll on her and eventually, she, like her little sister before her, succumbed to the darkness.

~_In the Underworld_~

"Talon's next on the list; which scents should I use for him?" Severus asked Persephone watched another of her friends fall.

"Caramel, cocoa, and a dash of vanilla." Severus nodded as he quickly moved.

"Talon has just landed on Naxos; Armand, you'll be the only one going seeing as how you want no help, alright?" Hades asked his ward and Armand simply nodded as the crystal changed to view Talon, who was still searching high and low for his lost 'sister'.

"Lestat, you'll be going afterwards and you also wished to be alone, correct?" Hades asked another one of his wards. The blonde simply nodded as Severus came back and handed Armand his concoction.

"Good luck." Tom said as Armand left.

A/N: Yes, for those who have figured it out, Henry is Henry Jekyll and Edward is Edward Hyde from Marry Reilly. I think that they're hot so I put them in. Also, for those Phantom of the Opera fanatics out there (don't worry; I'm one too), yes, I combined the phantoms from the 1990 version (Charles Dance), 1998 version (Julian Sands) and the 2004 version (Gerard Butler). I couldn't decide which one was best and those three are my favourites. (And yes, I know that the phantoms name is Erik, not Rex, but it was either come up with a different or get confused; which did you want?). So, yes, Amber is Christine Daaé but I'll get into that later. Don't worry; it'll all make sense soon.


	8. Chapter 8

{**Telepathy**}

-Beast speak-

/Parseltongue/

Chapter 8

"I don't know what I'll do if I can't find Persephone." Talon sighed to himself, trying to think of someone who would want to hurt Persephone.

"Nah, that's impossible, she never hurt or bothered anyone; why would someone want to hurt her?" Talon said to himself before he heard

"What if it's not about _hurting_ her, but _wanting_ her?"

"Maybe you're rig-, hey wait a minute!" Talon said as he spun around to see young man standing before him. He was indeed very handsome young man; he had long auburn hair, deep brown eyes, and rather tall. Overall, he looked like an angel carved out of marble.

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want?" Talon asked the man, taking note of the fact that the air around him smelled like his favourite scent.

"My name is Armand, ward of Hades, and I would like to talk to you." Armand said as he dropped the bottle into the grass without Talon noticing.

"Well, Armand, ward of Hades, what the hell could you have to talk about with me?" Talon asked him, doing his best to keep his defences up.

"Well, Talon, ward of Aeolus, first off, I want to know if you are happy with your lot in life." Armand asked Talon in the same tone as Talon had used moments before. Talon, however glared at him and said

"First off, I don't like being made fun of. Second, I was very happy with my lot in life until someone took Persephone and, judging by the winds, someone has also taken Tempest and Amber, my female cousins, away from me and this world!"

"I wasn't making fun of you; you just seemed like the kind of person that responded to that kind of speaking so I used it. Also, you need not fear for their safety; Hades, I believe, has truly fallen in love with Persephone. Sodapop and Angelus are both rather fond of Tempest. And Henry, Edward, Erik, Julian and Rex all find Amber both beautiful and fascinating."

"Yeah, a lot of people find Amber and Rogue fascinating, then they find out who they're talking to! Nobody wants to be friends with someone who loves fire as much as Amber does! And definitely no one wants to be friends with a girl that is the ward of death and vengeance and other 'bad' things and has toxic skin! All of the Gods have treated all of them as if they were freaks! What right do they have to pass judgement?! Just because they're older they can do that?! My ancestors didn't help them in the war just so they could mock my present family!" Unfortunately, this drained Talon of energy, which allowed Armand to get in close enough to hold him so he could whisper in his ear

"They don't have that right but don't worry; Rex and the others are fascinated by Amber's love of fire, her telepathy and telekinesis, and they want to learn more about her. And Logan and Remy both find Rogue both beautiful and intriguing... and they know _all_ about her skin; Hecate told us." Talon suddenly understood what was happening; the wards of Hades had fallen for him and his family! And, if his assumptions were correct, Armand had fallen for him!

{**ERAGON! BE CAREFUL! WARDS OF HADES FAN-!**} But Talon was unable to finish his mental message as the scents of cocoa, caramel and vanilla took their toll on him and he fell unconscious.

~_Meanwhile, on the island of Kravia, Eragon just got the message_~

"First Persephone goes missing, then Tempest, then I lose contact with Amber, and now Talon has fallen under my radar. What is going on? It's as if someone has-"

"Deliberately separated you?"

"Exactly, it's also seems like they did it just so they could-"

"Pick you off one by one because together your too powerful for one person?"

"Yes but why? Why would anyone do that? And why... why is it that there is another person here and the air suddenly smells like sandalwood, cedar, lilac and a dash of orchid?" Eragon finally asked himself as he turned around and saw a truly handsome man standing before him. He had mane of golden hair, beautiful blue eyes, an aristocratic face and a rather strong build. 'Maybe he's a Spartan, like me.' Eragon couldn't help but think. Everyone thought it hilarious that Eragon, a true Spartan at heart, was ward to great Athena; patron of Athens and his rival city-state. Both he and Athena thought that there was nothing wrong with it, and Athena scolded anyone who mentioned it.

"I'm actually half Arcadian, half Spartan; Spartan father, Arcadian mother, she couldn't believe how well treated she was in Sparta but I think it broke her heart a little when I entered the Agoge." The blonde stranger said and Eragon replied with

"Yes, it's a hard time for all Spartan mothers, but it's necessary, wait a minute- did you just read my mind?" Eragon asked him and the blonde smirked a bit before saying

"My apologies; the thoughts were rather loud and I couldn't help but hear them. One would think that, for having a telepath for a sister, you'd keep your mind a little more guarded."

"Yes, well, you are the first person that I've met that has that gift; other than my family of course." Eragon said, getting a little annoyed by being around this person

"I guess Athena keeps you closer to her than she does most males... you _are_ a male right?" The blonde asked, smirking again as Eragon looked outraged

"Yes I'm a male! Who the hell are you and the fuck do you want?" Eragon surprised himself as he swore; very seldom in his whole life had he ever sworn at anyone, but this man just infuriated him for some reason.

"Oh, so you _do_ have a temper; you need to let out a little more often I think, it can't be healthy to do what you do." The blonde replied, avoiding Eragon's question and giving the scents more time to take their toll on the brunette.

"For your information, I meditate my daily anger and, when it becomes too much, I practise my fighting skills. Now are you going to tell me who you are and what you want?" Eragon asked, once more trying to calm down.

"Oh, so you _are_ a fighter, hmm? Well then, perhaps you can show me? Oh, and FYI, meditation is all well and good, but nothing beats a good old shouting and fist fight." The blonde said as he passed Eragon a sword and took up a stance.

"I will not fight you when I don't even know your name! I fight only when it's absolutely necessary!" Eragon said as he tried to drop the sword, only to raise it as the blonde took a swing at him.

"Well, you _look_ like a Spartan, now let's see you _act_ like it." The blonde said as he kept attacking Eragon. Finally, Eragon went off the defensive, and started attacking the blonde. The blonde laughed for a moment, until Eragon managed to get a clean cut on his shoulder. It became an awesome fight to see; both men holding up to their Spartan heritage. However, Eragon soon fell and the blonde caught him.

"The... the fight... was so..." Eragon tried to say but he was becoming too weak.

"So the scents could take their toll on you more quickly? That's basically it. Oh, and to answer your questions; my name is Lestat, ward of Hades, and what I want is... you." Lestat said as he used his healing powers to heal both himself and Eragon, who had managed to hurt him quite a bit. Eragon then fell limp in his arms.

~_In the Underworld_~

"Now, it'll be near impossible for you to get the last three alone. Aurora doesn't go anywhere without Harry and, wherever Harry goes, Rogue goes. You are going to have to get them together, which will be just as hard but there's no other way. Now remember, Aurora likes the scents of peaches, peppermint, and cranberries. Harry likes the smell of lilies, jasmine, and rain. Rogue likes the smell of jasmine, vanilla, lavender, and lilies." Severus, with the help of Rex, who had returned just as Lestat found Eragon, and Hades all went to finish making the concoctions.

"Be careful." Persephone said to the ones that would be going to Drakonera to get her three remaining friends.

"Aren't you going to tell us not to hurt them?" Fenrir asked as Rex gave the concoctions out.

"No, if they find out that _you're_ the ones who did this, they _will_ kill you."

"You're not joking, are you?" Rabastan asked her and she replied with

"No, I'm not; you've attacked the Great 8 and Harry is never happy when someone does that. Don't forget, Harry and Rogue are the wards of Death. If they are captured, they will try to escape and, if they can't do that, they will kill themselves. That's their motto; better to die free, then live as slaves."


End file.
